Lamp-lock socket.



R. B. BENJAMIN & J. I MBODEN. LAMPYLOCK SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1914.

1,210,262. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

. UNI ED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

REUBENJBI BENJAMIN AND JAMES IIVIBODEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORST0 BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMP.A NY,*OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AGOR- PORATIGN OF ILLINOIS.

LAMP-LOCK sooner.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

Application filed A pri13, 1914. Serial No. 829,212.

Taall whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, REUBEN B. BENJA- MIN andJAMns IMBoiinN, bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have T jointly invented new and usefulImprovements in Lamp-Lock Sockets, of which the following is a full,clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in lamp sockets and one of theobjects of our invention is. to provide locking means for a lamp socketwhich shall lock the lamp iii the socket in such a manner that the samewill not jar loose duet'o vibration, etc., and also A to'so lock thelamp in that it-Ccannot be removed by'unauthorized persons.

For the purpose of disclosing our invention we have illustrated in theaccompanying drawings one embodiment thereof, in .which I Figure l is avertical. sectional view taken through the socket; Fig. 2 is a sectionalview taken on the line '2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a. bottom plan view ofthe lamp socket; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking platefor'lockingthe lamp in the socket; Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly insection, of the key F01; operating the locking plate; and Fig. (i is anend view of the key showing the shapedopening thereof.

The locking means is shown in connection with one form of socket, but itwill be undcrstood that various other forms of socket may be used.acconipanying drawing comprises a collar 1 adapted to be secured. to aconduit or the like and having cxternalscrew threads for the receptionof a bracket 2 which clamps a casing shade 3 in position upon the collaras shown. The bracket 2 carries a base consisting of an upper member-landa lower member 5, which parts are held togethorand are secured tothe bracket by suitable screws (3 adapted to pass through the two basemembers and screw into the bracket 2. The upper base member carries. onits lower sur face, a center contact 7 and a pair of binding tern'iipals8 and 9 to which the leadingin wires are adapted to be attached. Thelo\ver\member is formed with a central aperture 10 in which is containeda threaded The socket disclosed in the sleeve 11 which forms the outerlamp-ter- 1ninal-engaging contact] The sleeve is se-' cured to themember 5 by means of suitable screws 12 which pass therethrough andwhich engage in the locking member 13. The threaded sleeve 11 isprovided with a contact member H which makes connection between a pairof spring fingers l5- electrically'connected with the binding terminal8. Mounted within the recess 16 in the top of the member 5 is a lockingplate 13 which.

lies within the recess 16 and preferably takes the form of an elongatedring having,

on its inner 'ieripherv, downwardly extend- .nig spurs 17. The ring iselongated so that 11 and the downwardly extending spurs project downwardwithin the threaded shell;

the spurs preferabl being in the form of teeth having their straightsides in a direc tion to engage the lamp when it is rotated to removethe same from the socket. This plate is held in position by the threadedscrews 12, and is drawn down in clamping and locking position by thesesore-vs. These screws, at their lower ends, have triangular shaped heads19 and are countersunk in the recess 20 so that they are not easilyaccessi'-. ble, especially when the lampis in position and when theshade 3 is mounted on the socket. in operation. the screws 12 areloosened,

thereby loosening the clamping plate. The

lamp is screwed into position .in the usual manner and asthc top of itsthreaded shell engages the spurs, due to the fact that the spurs slopeon one side, the plate willbe forced upward, it not being held in clamp-,ing position by the screws 12. After Ehe I lamp has been screwed in sothat its center contact may form engagement with the center contact ofthe socket, the screws 12 are tightened, thereby drawing the lookingplate 13 down and forcing the endsof the spurs into the top of thethreadedshell on the lamp. Due to the fact that the straighty ened sideof the spurs 15 in such relation that a backward movement or. a movementof the lamp to remove the same causes the spursto bite intothe threadedshell, it is impossible to remove the lamp until the locking plate hasbeen loosened.

For the purpose of operatingthe screws 12 with the lamp in position andwith the shade in position, I provide a, key which comprises aninsulating handle 20 having secured thereto a flexible portion '21,which, at its outer end carries a socket 22, triangular in shape toreceive the ends 19 of the screws 12. This key is suiliciently long toextend up ,on the side of the lamp and betweenthe lamp and the shade.the flexible portion 21 permitting the key to be bent around the lamp inevent the lamp is so large that there is not a great deal of space leftbetween the sides of the lamp and the shade.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters. Patent is 1. In a lamp lock for sockets, thecombination with a lamp socket, of a movable spur-carrying member in theinner part of Said socket having a plurality of outwardly extendingspurs, on opposite sides of the axis of said socket and means operablefrom the exterior of the socket to move said member outward to forcesaid spurs into the base of said lamp and liold the spur in lockingmounted in the inncnpart of the socket having a central opening topermit the center contact of the lamp to project them-through and engagethe center contact of the socket, an outwardly extending spur on saidmember, and means operable from the exterior of the socket only by aspecially formed key for operating said member to force the spur intoengagement with the base of the lamp.

4. In a lamp lock. the combination with a lamp socket, of a'"1norablespur-em'rying member in the inner part of said socket,

having 'an outwardly 'extending spur, and

means operable from the outer side of the socket for moving said memberto force said spur into the base of the lamp and hold said spur inlooking position. I

5. In a lamp lock,'the combination with a lamp socket, of aspur-carrying member mounted in the inner part of said socket having anoutwardly extending spur, a shade secured over said socket, meansoperable from the outer side of the socket for an insulating base, of acenter contact and threaded shell contact mounted in said base, aspur-carrying plate mounted in said base above said threaded shellcontact, and screws extending through said base from the outer partthereof engaging said plate, and adapted to operate said plate toforcerthe spur thereof into locking engagement with the lamp base. I

T. In a lamp lock, the combination with an insulating base having athreaded shell and center contact, of a spur-carrying plate mounted insaid base farther in than said threaded shell and having a centeropening to permit the center contact of the lamp. to engage the centercontact of the socket, countersunk screws extending through the basefrom the outer side for engaging said spurcarrying plate, and adapted tooperate the same to force the spur into engagement with the base, saidscrews havingspecially formed heads to be engaged bya specially formedoperating instrument.

8. In a lamp lock, the combination with a lamp socket, of a movablespur-carrying member in the inner part of said socket having anoutwardly extending spur, and means operable from the outer side of thesocket for moving said member to force said spur into the base of thelamp and hold said spur in locking positiomsaid means including a screwlocated at one side of the axis of said socket. I

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names in thepresence of two witnesses. REUBEN B.'B ENJAMIN.

JAMES IMBODEN. \Vitnesses I-I. Mormon HUMAsoN, E. R. KING.

